Why Do Prescription Drugs Cost SO Much?

Why Do Prescription Drugs Cost SO Much?
In 2020 the expected global expenditure on prescription drugs was somewhere around 1.3 TRILLION dollars, with around $350 BILLION of that spending being done in the United States. The US seems to have a particular issue in this area, with citizens paying much more than their counterparts in similar countries. But why do prescription drugs cost so much? And why do some cost so much more than others?

Special thanks to the NIHCM for supporting this special series on the costs of prescription drugs.